Hand-rail for conveyers.



R. PITT. HAND RAIL FOR OONVEYERS. APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1912.

Patented June 23, 1914.

m n A M MW COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CQ-IWASHINGTON, D. 1;

RAFFOBD PITT, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

HAND-RAIL son convnvnns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed April 22, 1912. Serial No. 692,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rnrronn Prrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Rochelle, \Vestchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand -Rails for Oonveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hand rails for conveyers.

By the use of my invention I provide a strong, durable, hand-rail, comprising an endless, flexible and substantially flat band, which will have substantially no tendency to spread laterally under the longitudinal tension necessary to drive it, and will also preferably be reinforced longitudinally so as to withstand such driving strain without undue stretching in combination with means for so guiding the hand-rail that it will be compelled to travel evenly and smoothly on its service run and without any wabbling either upwardly, downwardly or from side to side, and furthermore will be maintained in such close association wit-h the guides as to obviate all liability of slipping off. I furthermore provide driving pulleys for driving the hand-rail having means for guiding the same into association with the inclined guides and means for taking up slack or tightening the hand rail on the driving rollers.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Zr-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4c is a section of modified form of hand-rail; and Fig. 5 is a section of another modified form of hand-rail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings C designates a hand-rail, comprising as shown, an endless flexible and substantially flat band formed of any suitable material, such as rubbercoated layers of fabric, mounted on rollers B, each fixed on a shaft 6 journaled in bearings b and suitably sup ported at each end of the stairway or conveyer on the wainscoting A which, as shown, is in the form of a rectangular box. The hand rail C may be driven from any suitable source of power (not shown).

Each of the rollers B is preferably re duced in diameter intermediate its side edges to form a depressed. track the width of the hand rail, and to provide side flanges 7/ at each side thereof extending a short distance above the lower surface of the track so as to retain the hand-rail in position thereon and guide it into alinement with a guide rail D mounted upon the wainscoting A and which, as illustrated, comprises a horizontal spacing member (Z and two side members cl (F. The members cl (Z extend vertically from the spacing member (Z and each is provided at its upper end with horizontal flanges extending toward each other.

The hand-rail C, as illustrated, is provided with vertical and horizontal slots 0 0 conforming to the shape of the upper end of the guide members d (Z and forms a centrally-located inverted T-shaped portion C. The guide members cl (Z fit within said slots 0 0 during the service run of the handrail C, and engage the inverted T-shaped portion C, and retain the handrail in such close association with such guides as to prevent lateral or up and down movement of said rail relative to said guides. It will also be obvious that a hand-rail so mounted will have no tendency to spread laterally and in view of the fact that the central inverted T-shaped portion of the hand-rail engages with the horizontal flanges on the guide, any lateral spreading that might occur could not cause the unseating of the hand-rail from its guide.

Suitable means such as the roller E mounted contiguous toeach of the rollers B is provided for tightening the belt on the rollers B. As shown, each roller E is fixed to a suitable shaft 6 extending through slots 6 in the wainscoting A and mounted in bearings 6 The bearings 7) of the roller B, and the bearings 6 of the roller E are provided with threaded rods F F extending toward each other and the threaded portions of said rods are connected by a turn-buckle f. The turning of the turnbuckle will of course move the roller E closer to the roller B and tighten the handrail therein. It is also important that the hand-rail be longitudinally reinforced to prevent undue stretching during its operation and for this purpose I preferably provide longitudinally extending reinforcing ropes H embedded in the material of the handrail. These reinforcing ropes are made of hemp, wire or other suitable material. As shown, three of these reinforcing ropes are embedded in the material and located respectively one at its center and one near each of the outer edges thereof.

Fig. 4 shows a slightly modified form of hand-rail in which a portion of the lower corners of the inverted T-shaped portion is cut away so thatthe rollers Will not squeeze the outwardly projecting portions upwardly to close the horizontal slots and thus cause friction in operation.

Fig. 5 is another slightly modified form of hand-rail in which the inverted T-shaped portion 0 extends below the balance of the rail.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the above description.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a hand-rail comprising an endless band formed of flexible material, having an integral central portion inverted-T-shaped in cross section, a guide for guiding the hand-rail during its service run, having means engaging with said central portion to retain the hand-rail in close association with the guide, driving rollers for rotating thehand-rail and means for tightening the hand-rail on the driving rollers.

2. The combination with a hand-rail comprising an endless band formed of flexible materiahhaving an integral central portion inverted-T-shaped in'cross section, a guide for the hand-rail during its service run comprising a spacing member and two separated members having inward extensions engaging the inverted-T-shaped central portion to retain the same in: close association with the guide, driving rollersfor the hand-rail and means for tightening the hand-rail on the driving rollers.

In witness whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK P. RANDOLPH, HELEN V. HOLMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

